12 step recovery

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Slips

Not everyone is the 12 step world is an immediate success. Some people do get the program on the first go around. Unfortunately, many other do not. Some have short term sobriety and then go out. Others can have years of immersion in the program and then slip as well.
Almost all of them have some familiarity with the program. Many of them can quote the Big Book chapter and verse. Yet, they failed to remain sober. They often “sound” like they are the picture postcard for an AA, NA or OA member. When we dig a little bit deeper we discover that talking about the program is not the same as practicing the program. AA and it’s sister fellowships are not theoretical organizations. They are based on action. When people give mere lip service to their recovery, regardless of how good it sounds, they are not in recovery.
Those who have slipped and return to the program are the first to admit this. Over and over again you will hear them say how they finally realized that in the past they were not committed to their recovery. Only through daily practice will recovery be achieved and maintained.

Personal Reflection: Do I practice the answers to my recovery on a daily basis?

Like this:

There are all sorts of slips in life. We can have a slip of the tongue, or a slip in judgement. In the program, we too can have these types of slips. Of course we are also concerned with a very serious type of slip. The one where we return to our drug of choice.
In listening to people share their experience about this type of slip one thing is clear; that it didn’t just happen by accident. Perhaps an analogy is in order. Imagine two possible scenarios. In the first a man is walking down the street and he “slips” on a banana peel. In this case it was just some random act of the universe. In the second scenario a man decides he wants to miss work for a few weeks. He starts eating a bunch of bananas and drops the peels on the floor. When he goes for a walk he slips on the peel. He calls his employer and says “I slipped on a banana peel”. In the second case it is obvious the man set up the “slip”. In the program our experience has shown that when a person has a slip, it is usually not a random act of the universe. Rather, whether consciously or unconsciously the slip was planned in advance.